Stretch of West Bank Highway Has Become Known as “Roulette Road” After Increase in Arab Attacks on Israeli Drivers

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Gush Etzion. Photo: Justin McIntosh

The escalation of Arab violence against Israelis in the West Bank doesn’t just target the IDF. Many of the roads in the region have become hazardous–even life threatening–with people reporting rocket attacks and firebombings, according to Ynet.

A stretch of Highway 60 that crosses the territory has become known as “Roulette Road” because of the threats travelers face while traversing it. Only last week three Israelis were injured while traveling down the road, including an IDF officer who suffered a wound to the head so severe that it required surgery. The latest incident, which left one Israeli lightly hurt, occurred on Monday.

“Driving down the road is like playing roulette,” David Brill, a resident of Gush Etzion, told Ynet. “Kids who pass by the road pick up rocks and throw them at you. Some residents avoid driving near the villages, taking long detours instead.

“It’s important to understand that these rocks can kill if not directly then by causing a driver to lose control and crash into oncoming traffic,” he added.

The road, which spans from Gush Etzion to Hebron, has long been considered one of the most dangerous in the area. It passes between two Arab villages, Beit Ummar and Al-Arub, whose residents are known to be Hamas sympathizers.

“It has become the most dangerous road in the Judea and Samaria region,” Ofer Ohana, who heads Hatzalah Yosh, an organization that dispatches volunteer emergency crews to help victims, told Ynet.

An army source told Ynet that the army was working to address the problems.

“We’re aware of what’s happening on the road,” the source said. “… We won’t resign ourselves to the situation. We will continue to press the rioters to stop.”